Life experiences inspire Wayne sculptor to create

"I've always been involved with building, but not so much in the sense of what I would call art -- more with construction and play. I think that desire to build is what prompted me to move into the sculpture realm," the 42-year-old, who has been a sculptor for 20 years, said, standing near the intersection of Fourth and Jackson streets on a balmy June afternoon.

Elliott, who is vice president of academic affairs at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, was installing his more than 7-foot-tall stainless steel sculpture, appropriately named, "Intersection." The intricate geometric structure, which was selected for Sculpt Siouxland's 2017 exhibition, reflects his interest in the underlying patterns and structures within nature and architecture.

After serving a four-year active duty tour in the Marine Corps, Elliott earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture from the University of Kansas and his master of fine arts degree from the University of Maryland. He said a career in the fine arts is a "challenging and time-consuming endeavor."

"I started out in graphic design, then took a sculpting class and a metal smithing class and really fell in love with all of the tools and materials and the processes -- the welding, braising and soldering," said Elliott, who has also served as the dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Wayne State, as well as the college's chair of the Department of Art and Design and director of the Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery.

It's the design process involved in sculpture, taking a flat sheet of material and transforming it into something three-dimensional, that Elliott said he finds most intriguing. He said his life experiences inspire him to create art.

"I'm really interested in architecture. I think I'm really inspired by design," said Elliott, who considers Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer Constantin Brâncuși among his favorite artists. Brâncuși, who is recognized as "the father of modern sculpture," is known worldwide for his simple, abstract forms.

Elliott works on his sculptures in his home studio in Wayne. Depending on the size of the piece, a sculpture can take him anywhere from three weeks to three months to complete. Weight, gravity, wind resistance and the archival aspects of stainless steel, all factored into "Intersection."

"This was actually an experiment in transparent material," he said. "As I was really starting to get into outdoor sculpture, I was looking at ways to minimize wind drag, especially in the Midwestern climate. Large pieces can really tend to take on the wind. That was one thing I really wanted to tackle with this."

Elliott's works have been included in more than 80 exhibitions and collaborations in 26 states. He was among 13 artists chosen to display a sculpture at the inaugural Sculpt Siouxland in 2005. He said the exhibition of "Intersection" marks his eighth or ninth year participating in the public art project.

"It's an opportunity to exhibit outdoor work -- that's really been a passion of mine," he said. "I've been involved in outdoor exhibits for probably going on 10 or 12 years now all around the country."

Elliott said Sculpt Siouxland offers a great location for displaying artwork. Some of his sculptures have also been purchased by local collectors who attend the Art Center's events. 

"A lot of my work right now has gravitated here," said Elliott, who has two pieces in Sculpt Siouxland's permanent collection and one on temporary lone. "All of the large-scale pieces I have now that are still in circulation have come back here."

Elliott said he hopes those who view "Intersection" take away an appreciation for form and design.

"It's OK to stop and get out of your car and take a walk around downtown and actually slow down and look at the artwork that's down here," he said. "I think it's a really nice exhibit."